The temperature went below 13C last night but this morning is clear and sunny. Last night's scruffy field actually has lovely country views through the hedges and it's been a restful night. Ali pops over to the shop and buys some tins of pate. We programme our route and drive back to Severac to look at the castle high on a mound over the town. An old sea captain in a Norwegian fjord once told us "Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride" and since we had to dec...

It's the most peaceful place imaginable, but with all that cheese last night sleep was not the best and this morning dawns dull and cool so the planned early start doesn't happen. Late morning we return along the moorland road [which we learned is known as France's desert] and join the northbound dual carriageway towards Millau viaduct. We are running down a long, curved incline when the white triangles appear in front of us and then we are on the bridge. The ...

The little site at Le Truel has been a charming and restful stopover. We service the van and continue our adventure along the D31. There is more fantastic scenery as we drive through the Grands Causses; hills, twists, turns and unguarded drops but generally most of the tarmac is wide enough to be called a road. We stop at a viewpoint near Melvieu looking deep into and across the green pines and grey stone of the gorge. The first town of any size is St Rome de...

No rush at all this morning. We cook toast without setting off the smoke alarm having finally cleared the grill of residue from the sausage fire in Limoges. Ali makes use of the site's washing machine before we set off to explore Le Truel. The site exits straight onto a bridge which offers lovely views up and down the Tarn. We pass the failed Passion and decide our shady riverbank pitch is the better location despite not being free. Ambling along the footpat...

At 09:00 Ali goes to the shop to meet Cathy who runs this Passion called Lou Coussinhol. They make cheese, creme fraiche and other dairy products. Today we plan on going to Le Truel, a little village on the banks of the Tarn, but first we need LPG and diesel, which we find at Olemps, just off the main road south of Rodez. From here it's back into the mountain passes on the D902 and D25 to Salmeich and around the Lac de Villefranche, all rural and beautiful in ...